Fabio Di Giannantonio is a name that will be well known to fans of MotoGP™, with the Gresini Racing rider now entering his second year in the premier class. After a successful debut campaign, where he stole a shock pole position at his home GP in Mugello, the Italian is looking to kick on and hopefully add to his three wins and 19 podiums earned throughout his Moto2™ and Moto3™ days. Ahead of the new season, why not learn a little more about one of the fastest men on the planet? So, without further ado, here are 10 things you probably didn’t know about Fabio Di Giannantonio.
1. The Italian’s lucky number is #21. It’s the number worn by his idol Troy Bayliss during his racing days while the 21st of April is the date of his home city’s, Rome, birthday. Currently donning the #49 on his bike, it would be no surprise to see Diggia make a play for the #21, having previously had it in his Moto2™ and Moto3™ days, should Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) ever vacate the number.
2. Diggia is a proud Roman citizen, so it comes as no surprise that he is an AS Roma superfan. He attends several games throughout the course of a season and would even invite current manager and football legend Jose Mourinho to the paddock if he had the chance.
3. It takes a brave person to carve out a career in motorcycle racing, but even the best in the business have their fears. For Diggia, it’s spiders, and he couldn’t emphasise that enough.
4. Italian cuisine is regarded among the very best in the world, so it is no surprise that he lists it as his favourite. Despite this, he has had to cut out pasta carbonara from his athlete’s diet, while his cheat meal is pizza.
5. Di Giannantonio is a bit of a collector, with the Italian admitting he enjoys collecting helmets from both his and his rivals’ careers, as well as shoes and watches!
6. The Gresini ace has two cats which he adores, and their names are Ugoboss and Gordon.
7. With a total of 22 podiums in his Grand Prix career, Di Giannantonio believes his personal assistant Fabio Sparesotto, or Fob, has played a key role in getting him to where he is now.
8. Like many of us, Diggia can catch the travel bug and he lists Bali as his number one destination to escape to.
9. As for his taste in music, the Red Hot Chili Peppers are his go to band and we have to say, it’s an excellent choice!
10. If given the chance, Di Giannantonio would love to race at the scene of his first-ever World Championship win in Brno, while he would also jump at the opportunity to ride Casey Stoner’s title-winning factory Ducati bike from 2007.